Head Duties, Prefect Schedules and those three little words
by S.S. Marauder
Summary: While trying to battle a problematic prefect schedule with her boyfriend James Potter in the deserted library, Lily Evans says three little words that might just change everything. But oh merlin, maybe it was too soon? Jily one shot. Fluff.


One Wednesday evening during the middle of March could find James Potter and Lily Evans sitting in a secluded corner of the abandoned library, sheets of parchment scattered on the table in front of them.

It was late and the library was deserted apart from the two head students, even Madam Pince was nowhere to be found. The sky had darkened outside and they had a clear view of the grounds from where they worked. The outline of the forbidden forest could just be seen by the light of the stars and the small sliver of the moon amongst the clouds.

Lily was sitting on the desk, swinging her legs back and forth, while James leant back on the legs of his chair, their hard work constantly being interrupted by meaningless chatter and banter between the two, or in other words flirting and chaste kisses, for there was no one around after all.

They talked and teased each other companionably as they always did during their duties. Although the work was tiresome and boring, they used it to their advantage to spend time together without the loud noises and boisterous attitudes that accompanied being friends with Marauders and Gryffindors.

They were currently taking yet another break to laugh about a recent prank the marauders had played on the defence professor. The old bat had very much deserved it and neither could wait to see her face the next morning when she discovered she had grown a snout and excessive amounts of facial hair. Hopefully it would teach her not to be so judgemental on the subject of werewolves.

James and Lily slipped into a comfortable silence, not needing to talk to enjoy the others company. They had been dating for almost five months now, and with the war against Voldemort approaching, along with the end of the school year, they were content with taking every moment they could get.

This silence was reluctantly broken by Lily when she realised that they had made very little progress on the work they were supposed to be doing.

"We really should finish that." she commented half heartedly, nodding at the prefects schedule.

James made a noncommittal grunt and Lily snorted in amusement.

"You're head boy, you know that means you actually have to _do_ stuff every now and then, ya?"

James' head made contact with the table with a soft thud, muffled by all the papers littering the desk.

"But it's so _boring_ Evans." he winged like an upset toddler.

Lily worked hard to refrain from laughing at her boyfriends childish attitude.

"And I suppose a Marauder such as yourself has no idea what boredom is like then?" she teased.

He looked up at her with a serious expression. "None." he said, "Never in all my years as a Marauder have I been faced with boredom."

His sarcasm was accompanied by a somber expression that had the desired affect of bringing a reluctant smile from her.

"Seriously James, we need to get this finished soon, we have class tomorrow."

"I'm not Sirius I'm the handsome one. " He said, with the usual cocky grin that made Lily's heart flutter, ignoring her other words.

She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder, trying hard not to smile at the overused pun. "That was old in first year." she informed him, which James once again ignored, choosing instead to take advantage of her leaning down to hit him, by placing his lips to hers. Lily didn't object but she pulled back after a moment and insisted on battling their work.

They made little progress on the schedule as they continued to quip at one another but it wasn't until darker subjects arose that the prefects schedule was completely abandoned.

Prefects schedules for rounds had become increasingly hard to arrange because as well as students having various clubs such as Quiditch to attend or detentions to serve, the tensions between houses regarding beliefs of blood purity limited the options of inter house partnerships. It also meant that with the growing support for Voldemort inside the castle, Patrols needed to be doubled.

They were currently trying to arrange a replacement for both Remus and James for the full moon in two weeks time. Lily was aware of the efforts her boyfriend and their friends had taken to help make life easier for Remus, and was nothing but supportive, but that didn't make the schedule any easier to sort.

"Well what if we paired Lucinda Talkalot with Benjy Fenwick?" James had suggested in regards to patrols.

Lily's light expression immediately darkened at James' suggestion.

"Lucinda's not on rounds or any prefects duties for the next month, she's still recovering." Lily told him.

James cursed internally and ran a hand through his hair. He hadn't meant to forget about the latest death eater attack but they had become so frequent now it was hard to keep track.

Lucinda's family had been murdered in their homes earlier that month and, understandably, she was currently a wreck.

Lily sighed and looked out the window at the forest. "Do you think it will ever end?" she asked him softly.

He hesitated before answering her. "It will, someday. I want to say soon, but sometimes it's like it's only getting worse. But someday... someday things will go back to normal... back to how they should be..." he trailed off. They both knew how uncertain everything was these days, there was no point lying and pretending it was better than it was.

"I know being a Gryffindor means we're supposed to be brave, but I can't help but feeling terrified, and imagine what it's like out there, I'm going to fight but... sometimes I just... it's hard not to be scared. I want to do something, to help, I want to be a true Gryffindor but..." she too trailed off leaving her unspoken words hanging in the air between them.

Lily returned her gaze to James and was surprised by the fond look he was giving her vulnerable one.

He smiled softly and took her hands, pulling her towards him gently before he began speaking.

"When I was younger I was always really excited about coming to Hogwarts. I wanted to be in Gryffindor, just like my dad, and as far as I was concerned my letter couldn't come soon enough." He told her with a faraway look. Lily wasn't sure how this was relevant but she let him speak anyway. He used the hands he was holding to pull her from the table onto his lap, and she complied easily, snuggling into his chest as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"When my letter did come though, everything was a lot more real. I didn't really know any other kids, and I realised I was going to have to leave my parents behind. I was pretty scared, despite how exited I'd always been.

The night before I left my dad asked me what the problem was, my parents noticed I'd been pretty down, they thought I would've been bouncing off the walls.

So I told him what was bothering me. I said that I had wanted to be in Gryffindor like him but I was scared and now I knew that I wasn't going to get into Gryffindor because they were supposed to be brave.

He laughed and told me that I definitely wasn't going to get into Ravenclaw because I was being stupid. He said that Gryffindor isn't about not being afraid, it's about doing the right thing, despite being afraid, doing the right thing _especially_ when your afraid.

He told me that the only time someone can be truly brave is when their afraid, and doing something about it, despite your fears is what makes you a true Gryffindor."

Lily lifted her head from where it rested in the crook of his neck to meet James' gaze and his eyes were soft and loving.

"Your can't be brave unless your afraid and willing to do something about it," he told her laying a kiss to the top of her head "and you love, are the bravest person I know."

Lily smiled up at him, unsure of what to say. _"Thanks James"_ didn't seem good enough for the intimate moment they were sharing.

And just like that three perfect words formed in Lily's head. They were three words that had been swimming around in her subconscious for weeks now and finally they emerged.

She knew that those words were true, that they couldn't ever be any more true because despite only being with him for hardly more than four months, Lily knew this fantastic amazing boy better than she knew even herself, and, even though it was too soon, and she was afraid and there was a war going on, she loved him anyway.

She loved him despite the fact he could be the biggest idiot in the world or he got overexcited about pranks or he had a strange obsession with muggle music. She _loved_ him.

So she told him. She was terrified, but hadn't he just said she was brave? She looked him in his beautiful hazel eyes and said with all the conviction she could muster, those fabulous three words.

"I love you."

It was actually quite comical the way his head jerked up and his eyes widened behind his wire rimmed glasses.

He stared at her for a moment in shock and it was enough time for horrible thoughts to begin banging around inside Lily's head.

 _What if he didn't feel the same? What if he wasn't ready? What if he doesn't say it back. Oh Merlin, what if I've messed up?_

Her fears didn't last long, however because soon the largest grin Lily had ever seen, larger even than after their first kiss, was splitting his face in two.

James removed his hands from around her waist to cup her face and held her gaze with shining eyes.

"Merlin Lils, I love you too. You have no idea how much."

They were both smiling like fools now, and maybe it was a good thing no one was around because Sirius would never stop taking the piss out of them for their love-struck expressions.

Using the hands cupping her face James brought his lips to hers, but the kiss wasn't rushed or hurried, it was slow and sweet and held a promise in it. A promise of forever that neither put into words but that they both understood clearer than day itself.

They stayed like that for a long time, and that sweet, slow kiss turned into a longer, more breath-catching, heart-thumping kiss, and really it was no surprise that the prefects schedule didn't get finished that night. Or that hours later when they finally returned to the common room, they were noticeably dishevelled and still grinning like utter fools. Utter lovestruck fools.

* * *

James went out and bought a ring not two weeks later.


End file.
